⚽️The Footy Thread: Lock Thread

[PRIME]

Lukaku gotta stop getting passes for his **** touch in front of goal and his overthinking/too many touches that result in losing the ball when all he needs to do is put his foot through the ball and put it in the net.

Yeah he didn't have the proper service today.. But thats always the excuse when pogba isn't playing. so that either means Lukaku is trash, or the midfield is trash.

If the man can't score without pogba, then united needs someone who can play under tough circumstances. Or they need to strengthen the midfield.

 

[ootherocoo]

There wasn't much service, but when the opportunities arose, he didn't make the best of them.

That clearance off the back of Mikey didn't help either.

Lukaku was poor today, but he's definitely not 'bunz". He didn't get much service at all today. That coupled with his two defensive mistakes, and his miss chanced at point blank range leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[rolaholic]

^^I mean the MF really did get run over though

Ander is decent in a MF 3 but he's been suspect often when he's got more responsibility for controlling the MF. He doesn't add much moving forward in those situations

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Lukaku is pressing right now. Dude has missed sitters ala Watford. I say let Zlatan run and let Big Rom clear his head for a bit.

this is lunacy

aint nothing to clear, just some bad luck, dude aint forget how to play soccer.

the goals will come, keep starting him now until the end of time.

 

[AZwildcats]

Both defensive mistakes by Lukaku are incredibly unlucky, but he has to finish his chances in front of goal. I dont think he was as bad as you guys are saying he was

 

[Canadian Destroyer]

Klopp with the meltdown in that post match interview.

 

[PRIME]

My guy PRIME hates Roms guts

bruh, I'm 100% for blackchester but dude ain't the one.

he's a good striker, but i hate watching dude with the ball at his feet. diego costa was the same way, but I'd never think I'd see someone worse than him. they got the same qualities and the same weaknesses. strong and powerful when striking, but mental midgets when you make them make quick decisions with the ball at their feet.

but somehow this dude lukaku is a world class crosser, who would have thought

Chelsea was great with diego because they had class all over the wings and midfield.

 

[LA Diggler]

I told y’all we would see matches like this from Lukaku

 

[rolaholic]

Yea he also had dry spells occasionally at Everton but the fact that it's magnified 10x at OT has to make it even tougher for dude.

He needs to step up for sure but so does the team when Pogba isn't out there,they don't look even half as deadly when he's out

 

[Armada]

Couple things I wanna highlight. Pep playing Sterling as a false 9 and giving him free range to roam today was a perfect decision to counter United having more bodies in midfield since they played a back 4 instead of 5 like many thought. He didn't get a goal or assist but what he did on the pitch today finding gaps and creating space for others with his runs where perfect was deserving of MOTM IMO. (Sidenote Jesus did this same role but from the wing nice too)

Also ****in Ederson man love that dude.

EDIT: Alost I give Mangala alot of stick but credit where its due he came on and locked it down

 

[rolaholic]

Ederson sacrificing his face for that save was crazy

Citeh are really gonna run away with it it seems

 

[PRIME]

City had probably their toughest game today, so kudos to them for pulling through this one.

A good game in the end, and shout out to them trolling those corner kicks at the end.

Pep is running away with it. masterclass from city this season

 

[Beans]

He’s off to city.

Rom had a terrible game, but everyone does at one point or another. Wish he didn’t shoot that right at edersons ugly face.

 

[MetalMario]

Really Lovren??? Atrocious “defending”.

Rooney smashes it. Well done

 

[Beans]

Couple things I wanna highlight. Pep playing Sterling as a false 9 and giving him free range to roam today was a perfect decision to counter United having more bodies in midfield since they played a back 4 instead of 5 like many thought. He didn't get a goal or assist but what he did on the pitch today finding gaps and creating space for others with his runs where perfect was deserving of MOTM IMO. (Sidenote Jesus did this same role but from the wing nice too)

Also ****in Ederson man love that dude.

EDIT: Alost I give Mangala alot of stick but credit where its due he came on and locked it down

United had more bodies in midfield? We watched different games b. Felt like united issue was the gap between our two midfielders and our front 4. Herrera with matic offers absolutely nothing going forward. The only dangerous balls came from the full backs or ddg.. really disappointing watching us without pogba

Yet all of that and the game was still close and we arguably could have gotten a point. Crazy.

 

[Armada]

United had more bodies in midfield? We watched different games b. Felt like united issue was the gap between our two midfielders and our front 4. Herrera with matic offers absolutely nothing going forward. The only dangerous balls came from the full backs or ddg.. really disappointing watching us without pogba

Yet all of that and the game was still close and we arguably could have gotten a point. Crazy.

Well the plan seemed to be United to have two holding mids and lingard martial and rashford where all a dropped back sitting in front of Herrera and Matic so you guys did have bodies in the midfield (just not in a line together)they just got pulled apart by City's movement. Thats where the gaps came from. So the bodies where they they where just became fragmented

 

[rolaholic]

Gonna need Mou to hold a set piece defending clinic this week,taking too but mainly defending. Been a weakness for far too long especially for such a physically imposing squad. You'd think it'd be a strength but they get caught out of position way too often to take advantage of the size difference

 

[Sinner]

Choice post-match word from Jose...

 

[LA Diggler]

Well the plan seemed to be United to have two holding mids and lingard martial and rashford where all a dropped back sitting in front of Herrera and Matic so you guys did have bodies in the midfield (just not in a line together)they just got pulled apart by City's movement. Thats where the gaps came from. So the bodies where they they where just became fragmented

I saw a 4-4-2 with Jesse up front with Lukaku pressing every now and then but mostly letting Citeh have possession. It seems to me that Jose conceded the midfield before the match started. Rather have Citeh build from the back than from the half way line.

 

[Armada]

I saw a 4-4-2 with Jesse up front with Lukaku pressing every now and then but mostly letting Citeh have possession. It seems to me that Jose conceded the midfield before the match started. Rather have Citeh build from the back than from the half way line.

It looked like that at times cause Jesse was behind Lukaku and would come up to press by himself at times but he would move back IFRC. But you are right United did concede possession, they never committed to structured a high press like they did against Arsenal like some thought they would. Kompany and Otamendi where able to walk the ball up under little pressure several times in that first half. And from there it wasn't hard to find spaces in the middle with Jesus and Sterling running around all over the place.

 

[jape]

pep >

hand city the title now
there hasn't been a proper title race in the bpl for a couple years now

mou's tactics are washed

 

[ihavemyownopinion]

El pistolero

 

[Kimchi Papi]

^ Jose deserves a crap ton of blame for the loss today but he’s become a Sith Lord when it comes to deflecting the blame to others.

Phew thought this might be a 1-nil loss to the Yellow Subs today.

 

[sneaksoy]

Bummed with the result today. Took my girl to a bar to watch and just now caught up with the thread. Congrats to the City fans on essentially wrapping up the title. 15-0-1 is just a ridiculous, ridiculous record. Ederson proving to be worth the GK-record fee with that double save today. Imo, City is the best team in the world right now and gotta be one of the fastest teams ever, I was amazed at their speed up top and on the flanks today. For their sake I hope they avoid injuries and can make the CL run they’re deserving of at this point.

From a United standpoint, Lukaku really disappointed with the two defensive mishaps and the blown opportunity in the second half, but I won’t write him off. While City dominated possession as expected without Pogba in our midfield, I don’t necessarily think Mou got the tactics wrong. City had space but that was the plan and we absorbed it decently imo, and played some nice balls forward on the counter, enough to have an opportunity to legitimately win the game. Just amazing we continue to be so bad at defending set pieces with all the size in the squad.

 

[sneaksoy]

Gonna Need Calvert-Lewin to have the Gordon Hayward treatment.

You’re disgusting for this.